Bucket



Nov. 20, 1928.

H. s. ATKINSON BUCKET Filed April 29, 1925 INYENTOR Hara/ 1.142% m Jan, BY M r A i MA1-roman Patented Nov. 20, 1928.

UNITED l`,STATES 1,692,1e5- PATENT OFFICE.,

HERBERT S. ATKINSON, OF EAST ORANGE, JERSEY, ASSIGNOR T THE HAYWARD COMPANY, 0F NEW YORK, N. YK., A CORPORATION 0F NEW YORK.

BUCKET.

Application led April 29, 192.5. Serial No.`26,565.

This invention relates to newV and useful improvements in buckets such as are cpmmonly employed for loading, unloading, dredging, and similar werk, and, more particularly, to improvements in the chain construct-ions covered by iny former Patents, No. 889,170 of May 26, 1908, and No. 906,184 of December-8, 1908, respectively.

The object of this invention is to provide means to prevent the creeping of the chain on thehub of the power wheel, which has heretofore occurred when the chain is subjected to great stress in the closing of the bucket sections, and to-more properly dis tribute the wear upon the various members of the chain. K

In the clamshell bucket of the power wheel type, such as the bucket which was the subjectof-Patent No. 906,184, of December 8,

1908, the closing of the bucket is effected by means of a power mechanism consisting of a large Wheel located on the pivotal shaft which joins the two tray sections of the bucket together. Attached on either side of this large wheel are small hubs, and attached to these hubs and extending to the pivot at the top of the bucket to which the connecting arms are connected, are fiat link chains. The closing rope, which is used for operating the bucket,

is attached to the periphery of the large wheel just described, and its purpose is to rotate this wheel in the closing action of the bucket.

The rotation of the wheel in turn causes the fiat link chains to wind up upon the hubs, thus drawing the bucket sections together.

The difference in the length ofthe lever arms represented by the distance between the center of the pivot shaft and the center of the closing rope on the outer edge of the power Wheel as against the distance between the center of the pivot shaft and the center of the at link chain as it lies upon the hub, is the mechanical means for gaining great power for forcing the bucket sections together. It has been found that the special flat link chains heretofore used and which were the subject of Patent No. 889,170, had a tendency to creep around the hubs, which were cylindrical in shape. Each of the links used in the chain was formed to lie upon the hub and to exactly match the contour of same. However, the great stress which it is forced to sustain during the closing of the bucket will have a tendency to draw the entire chain very closely around the hub, and the greater the wear encountered in the pin bearings, the greater was the tendency for the chain` to creep and bind upon the surface of the hub, the binding, `of course, coming from the great friction occurring during the creeping motion. The effect of all this was to graduaily destroy the edges of the links and to tear out the holes in which the pins were inserted.

The object of this invention is to overcome this difliculty. In the new type of chain and hub arrangement, the hubs themselves are octagonal instead of round. Obviously, la greater surface for the chainsto bear upon is thus provided. The links composing the chain have parallel or straight edges, and the chainis so proportioned thaty each set of links lies directly upon one of the fiat surfaces of the hub and is held thereto. These fiat surfaces tend to locate each section of the chain as it is Wound up, independently of the section which had gone before, and overcomes all tendency for the chain to creep.

Inthe drawings, Figure 1 is a fragmentary end view of the power wheel and hub and chain attached thereto;

Figure 2 is a side view showing the chain wrapped around the same; and

Figure 3 is a view of the chain itself in front elevation.

Refering to the dra-wings in detail, 5 indi cates the transverse shaft of a bucket of the type shown in my Patent No. 906,184, above refered to, to which are pivotally connected the bucket sections (not shown). Mounted upon the shaft 5 for rotation thereon is the p ower wheel 6, having a hub section on either side as indicated at 7. Each of said hub sections is provided with fiat chain bearing surfaces as indicated at 8, and is also provided with projecting lugs 9, slotted as at 10 to re- 95 c eive the end links 11 of the chain 12, the end links 11 being pivotally connected to said lugs by transverse pins 13. The opposite ends of the chain 12 are connected to the pivot at the top of the bucket, Where the connecting 10o arms are attached.

The chain 12 consists of a single section A and a double section B, so constructed that when the sheave wheel has made one complete rotation in the closing of the bucket, 105 the duplex section will wrap completely around the hub without such duplex section overlapping; that is to say, the duplex section of each chain is just long enough to encircle the hub to which it is attached, and the singlel 110V Cil 2 recense creep. In the closing` of the bucket, each set of links and pins thus performs its work somewhat independently of the Ylinks which l have already been wound upon the hub, and

this very materially cuts down the wear on both the links and the pins. The action of the new type of chain, as compared to the old, is analogous to the action of the chain around a sprocket wheel compared to a belt around a smooth pulley. In the first case there is very little slippage because each set of links is more or less positively engaged to the sprocket, while in the other case the belt operating upon a smooth surface does have a chance to slip.

l/Vhile I have shown herein octagonal hubs connected to the power wheel', the number of flat chain bearing surfaces maybe varied by properly proportioning thereto they links of the chain.

lVhat I claim is:

l. In a bucket,a power wheel provided with a hub having a plurality offlat chain bearing Y surfaces.

2. In a bucket, a power wheel provided with a hub having a plurality of flat chain bearing surfaces,a1rd a chain so proportioned that each set of links lies directly upon one of the Hat surfaces of the hub.

3. In a bucket,a power wheel provided with a hub` having a plurality of flat chain bearing surfaces, and a chain having: a single section andy a duplex section, each of saidl sections being adapted to make a single turn around the hub, land the links beingso proportioned that each' set of links' lies directly upon one of the flat surfaces of the hub.l

Il.v Ina bucket, a rotatable power wheel provided with a hub presenting 'aplurality Vof angularly disposed flat surfaces, alug'proL jecting from said hub and disposed laterally with respect to said surfaces, anda chain having one end attached/to said lug,feach.lfink thereof being proportioned to lie directly upon one of sa'idfflat surfaces-of said* hub.

. HERBERT s. aiKrNsoNg 

